Thailand goes the Western way to beat arthritis

Bangkok: Thailand plans to promote Western-style seated toilets in homes as part of the national agenda, claiming these would help reduce knee problems.

The ministry will encourage 90 percent of Thai households to have seated toilets by 2016, deputy minister Cholanan Srikaew said today. According to the ministry, 86 percent of households still use squat toilets.

Western choice. Getty Images

More than six million Thais were found to be suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee in 2010, and the ministry believes the condition is connected to the use of squat toilets.

The move will be on the national agenda so that state and private agencies will pay attention to the issue, Srikaew was quoted by Bangkok Post as saying.

The target of 90 percent is in the third phase of the Thai toilet development master plan, which will includes transforming all squat toilets to sitting ones in state agencies, he said.